Most of the globe was unusually warm in June. Areas in red were warmer-than-average while areas in blue were cooler-than-average. / National Climatic Data Center

by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

June was unusually hot around the world. The month's global temperature was the fifth-highest on record, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday.

Having a global average temperature of 61.05 degrees F, this June tied with June 2006 for the 5th-hottest since records began in 1880. Only Junes in 1998, 2005, 2010 and 2012 were hotter.

It also marked the 340th-consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th-century average. The last below-average temperature for any month was February 1985.

Many parts of the world experienced higher-than-average monthly temperatures, including north-central Canada, most of Alaska and the western USA, much of northern and eastern Europe, western Russia, part of northern Siberia and north-central Australia, NOAA reported.

Northeastern Canada, much of western and southern Europe, central Asia, eastern Russia and most of India were notably below average.

The USA had its 15th-warmest June on record. Several states in the West - California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico - each had a top 10 warm June, NOAA reported.

For the first half of the year, 2013 has tied with 2003 as the seventh-warmest such period on record globally, with a surface temperature that was 1.06 degrees above the 20th-century average of 56.3 degrees.

In the USA, although the West has been hot and dry for much of the year, with drought conditions across the region, central and eastern parts of the country have been quite wet. Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and Illinois are slogging through their wettest January-June on record. California is seeing its driest year ever.

Also, according to NOAA, all areas east of the Mississippi River are drought-free for the first time since 2005.